Weft thread separator for drop box looms



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W 1, 1956 G. WlGET WEFT THREAD SEPARATOR FOR DROP BOX LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1952 INVENTOR. W

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llll .IIVI llvlllnllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIII United States Patent Oihce 2,743,744 Patented May 1, 1956 2,743,744 WEFT THREAD SEPARATOR FOR DROP BOX LOOMS Georg Wiget, Arbon, Switzerland, assignor to Societe Anouyme Adolphe Saurer, Arbon, Switzerland, in jointstock company of Swiss law Application June 28, 1952, Serial No. 296,114 Claims priority, application Switzerland July 3, 1951 4 Claims. (Cl. 133-47 as This invention relates to looms and more especially to a device for separating the weft threads in drop box looms.

It is an object of this invention to provide a weft thread separator enabling the several shuttles stored in the drop box of the loom to pass successively through the shuttle range, while preventing any twisting or lost weft strands or enclosures from occurring in the shed.

In a loom fitted with the new separator, there is provided on the slay a member supported for rotation which offers a separate passage, at a level of the shuttle range for each of the shuttles stored in the box, with means for synchronizing the rotary motion of this member with the vertical ascending and descending motions of the drop box. This combination of means enables the weft threads carried along by the shuttles stored in the different compartments of the drop box to always remain separated in the shuttle range from the threads in the shuttles which are inactive for the time being.

I prefer to use a rotary separating member formed either with several spokes extending radially from a common hub and enclosing between adjoining spokes separate openings, delimiting separate spaces for the shuttles to pass through, this member being arranged to yield when contacted by a shuttle, being for instance made of an elastic material.

The rotary member may be driven either by means of a gear or a train of gears or by a rope or belt drive or by means of a lever or levers. No matter what kind of driving means is employed, the drive may be operated in dependency from the drop box or directly from the device operating the drop box movements, or in multi-color automatic looms from the color selecting apparatus.

In the drawings alfixed to this specification and forming part thereof some embodiments of a device according to this invention are illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is one embodiment showing the parts in front elevation, while Fig. 2 is a cross'section on the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a preferred embodiment of the separator member proper to be used in the devices shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are front elevations, partially in section, of two modifications of the separator member shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. 13, 1 is the slay and 2 is a projecting support or outrigger fixed to the slay and formed with a guide 3 for the drop box 4. This box is made to go through reciprocatory motion by means of a changing device (not shown) which operates it by means of the rod marked 5 in Fig. 2. The drop box 4 has four compartments 6, 7, 8 and 9 in which four shuttles 10, 11, 12 and 13 are stored. From the shuttles, the weft threads 11, b, c and a, respectively, extend towards the fabric e which is held in position by the temple 15.

In the guide 3 fixed to the slay 1 are supported gears 17, 18, 19 and 20, the gear 17 meshing with a rack 21 fixed to the drop box 4. The gear 17 transmits its rotary movement by means of its spindle 22 via the gears 18, 19 and 20 to the separator 24 shown, in Fig. 2, to have the form of a star with an elongated hub 23 carrying four spokes 25, 26, 27 and 28. Between each pair of adjoining spokes is enclosed a space through which a shuttle may pass, these spaces being marked 29, 30, 31 and 32.

I prefer to use a separator 24, having its hub 23 (see: Fig. 4) or its spokes 25, 26, 27 and 28 (see: Fig. 5) made of flexible and preferably elastic material, for instance hard rubber, which can yield to a shuttle which may deviate from its ordinary course.

Alternatively I may use a separator 24' illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the spokes 25, 26', 27', 28' and the hub portion 23 are made of rigid material, the spokes being connected to the hub portion by means of flexible or resilient pieces 39 which enable the spokes to yield or rock relative to the hub.

In all the cases the faculty of the spokes of yielding renders the shuttle in front of the shuttle box accessible.

On the slay 1 a member 33 may be fixed which serves for guiding the weft threads (see the thread d in Fig. 2).

Obviously the weft threads a, b, c and at leading from the shuttles 10, 11, 12 and 13 to the fabric e are separated from each other by the spokes of the star-shaped separator member 24.

The gear ratio of the train of gears from the rack 21 to the separator member 24 should be such that a displacement of the drop box by the height of one of its compartments corresponds to a quarter turn, and a displacement by the combined heights of two adjoining compartments to one-half turn of the separator 24. In consequence of this arrangement only the weft thread of the shuttle, which is in action for the time being, will extend along the shuttle range, so that any twistings or lost weft strands or enclosures in the shed are avoided with certainty.

As mentioned at the beginning the drive of the separator member from the drop box by means of a train of gears may be replaced by any other customary power transmission arrangement such as a rope or belt drive, a driving lever system or the like.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Weft thread separator for drop box looms including a slay, a drop box on said slay, a shuttle race in front of said drop box, and a plurality of shuttles in said drop box and adapted to be driven along said shuttle race, comprising in combination, a thread separating member, said member including a hub portion and radially extending arms to form passages, one for each shuttle, flexibly connected with said hub portion, said hub portion being supported for rotation at a distance from said drop box on the shuttle race side of said drop box, and means for rotating said separating member for successive registration of said passages with the shuttle race.

2. Weft thread separator according to claim 1, wherein the radially extending arms of the separating member are resilient.

3. Weft thread separator according to claim 1, wherein the hub portion of the separating member is resilient.

4. Weft thread separator according to claim 1, wherein the radially extending arms of the separating member are connected with the hub portion thereof, by a resilient connecting portion interposed therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,872,979 Kronofi Aug. 23, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,686 France Sept. 10, 1851 

